This definitive introduction to finite element methods was thoroughly
updated for this 2007 third edition, which features important material
for both research and application of the finite element method. The
discussion of saddle-point problems is a highlight of the book and has
been elaborated to include many more nonstandard applications. The
chapter on applications in elasticity now contains a complete discussion
of locking phenomena. The numerical solution of elliptic partial
differential equations is an important application of finite elements
and the author discusses this subject comprehensively. These equations
are treated as variational problems for which the Sobolev spaces are the
right framework. Graduate students who do not necessarily have any
particular background in differential equations, but require an
introduction to finite element methods will find this text invaluable.
Specifically, the chapter on finite elements in solid mechanics provides
a bridge between mathematics and engineering.